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Lay Ministry for Dummies, Grand Finale

Whelp, it’s raining outside, which makes it a good time for writing. Today I’m going to wrap up my series on Lay Ministry and I must apologize for the long break in between posts. I wish I could say that I’ve been building the suspense, but, in all truthfulness, I was just lazy. If you’re just joining us (errr, me) here’s a link to the rest of the series.

I figure that if you’ve stuck with me for this long, then you are ready to be challenged. Part 3 of this topic is all about applications of lay ministry. We know what it is, we know why it’s important and why it works so well. Now we need to apply these “theories” to real life.

Today’s blog is more of a brain storming session because the truth is that I’m on the learning curve along with everyone else. I’ve listed a few of my ideas below and I hope that you’ll add to the list!

Seek to glorify God with every action: Lay ministry effectiveness is built on the principle of credibility (if you’re a fake, people can smell you from a mile away). If every action you make glorifies God then every part of your life can be used for ministry (this opens up a lot of ministry possibilities). Let me put it another way–No segment of your life should be separated from the will of God. There doesn’t need to be a separation of work and church, or a separation of fun and church. I challenge you to be the most successful person at work WHILE glorifying God. I challenge you to be the funnest person at the party WHILE glorifying God. When people see the genuineness in your lifestyle, they will take note. Your actions will always speak louder than words.

Focus on WHO you know: Paul became all things to all people. He knew that if he was going to truly change people’s lives with the Gospel of Christ, he had to make a connection with them, he had to reach them on their level. If you want to witness to people, then look for people who are in the same boat as you. Evaluate your skills AND your scars. Often times, it’s the valleys of life that bring people together (think about how many strangers you talked to after 9/11, everyone became neighbors through the tragedy). I’m always amazed at how we can mess up, we can bring negative consequences upon our lives and God can still use those experiences to help us connect to others.

Grow a team: Paul was never a one man show. He was always planting, always growing. Why? Because he recognized the ginormous size of the work that he was called to do. Develop a list of people whom you are growing to fill your ministry positions and people whom you admire and hope to become.

Don’t stop at obstacles: A life spent serving God is almost guaranteed to bring obstacles. Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, fell out of an airplane … When you encounter these obstacles, do not be discouraged. Put your hope in the Lord and know that you serve a God who is BIGGER than any obstacle!

Now let’s here from you. How can we apply Paul’s model of Lay Ministry to our lives?